Ahead of its world premiere at Sundance, the producer of “Dual,” Lee Kim, has signed a first look film deal with the indie production studio XYZ Films.
The deal is with Kim’s Toronto and Los Angeles’ based Resolute Films and Entertainment and will be an agreement to produce several titles together per year, specifically with a focus on diverse, filmmaker-driven projects. They’ll also develop international co-productions in Kim’s native Canada and elsewhere.
The latest production collaboration between the two studios is “Dual,” which is the next feature from director Riley Stearns that stars Karen Gillan, Aaron Paul and Beulah Koale. The film was shot entirely in Finland during the height of the pandemic and will premiere in competition at the festival this week.
“Lee has been a trusted producer to XYZ for many years,” Nick Spicer, CEO of XYZ Films, said in a statement. “We will rely on his expertise and taste as we continue to expand our production slate.”
“XYZ has become a true Hollywood success story through years of hard work, collaboration and loyalty to the filmmakers they work with,” Kim added. “I’m excited to be working more closely with them and with the synergies we will create.”
As part of the deal, XYZ production and finance coordinator Sanjeev M. will join Resolute as its creative executive.
XYZ and Resolute have also previously collaborated on Matt Johnson’s “Operation Avalanche,” which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Lionsgate, Anthony Scott Burns’ supernatural thriller, “Our House,” released by IFC Films in 2018, and Jeff Chan’s 2019 Netflix sci-fi thriller “Code 8.”
